Feature-length Studio Ghibli animated film about two orphaned siblings who struggle to survive and stay together during the final months of the Pacific War.

This is more animation that’s strictly not for kids. In fact, just like The Plague Dogs, this is a harrowing, haunting watch. The innocence of the children in the face of war is depicted beautifully, but also brutally.

This is also some of the best animation I’ve ever seen in a film with special emphasis on darkness and light.

This was director Isao Takahata’s first film for Ghibli and it received universal acclaim. Kurosawa was one such fan and Takahata accomplishes the near-impossible. He made a film that Roger Ebert and I both love (I didn’t think it could be done).

Nerve-wracking, honest and brutal. But also breathtaking.

4.5 out of 5 stars